Top Richest People in Asia - Profession and Achievements

Posted By MariaOct 30, 2015

Asia has produced some of the biggest business tycoons who stand among the richest personalities of the world. The continent is home to some of the world’s most important investors, real estate developers and business owners. The discussion below provides information about seven richest people and business tycoons in Asia including their achievements and the reasons behind their success.

Li Ka-Shing

The richest man and the most powerful business tycoon in Asia is Li Ka-Shing. Born in China on 29th July 1929, the successful man turns eighty-six this year. He is the business magnate of Hong Kong with $33.2 billion as his net assets. Li Ka-Shing quit school at the age of twelve and began apprenticeship at a watch strap factory. Two years later, he had a full-time job at a plastic trading company. At the age of only 22, Li set up his own company and from then onwards began his journey towards success. The man is an inspiration not only through his success story but also because of his generosity. Deemed one of the most magnanimous philanthropists of Asia, Li Ka-Shing has contributed more than $1.4 billion towards charitable causes to this date.

Achievements

Li Ka-Shing is the Chairman of the Board of Hutchison Whampoa Limited – a Hong Kong based Investment Company.

He is the Chairman of the Board of Cheung Kong Holdings Limited – flagship of the Hong Kong based Cheung Kong Group which develops residential and commercial property.

Li’s companies comprise of fifteen percent of the market capitalization of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Asia Week named him as “Asia’s Most Powerful Man” in 2001.

Li was the first man ever to receive the honor of “Malcolm S. Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Forbes Magazine in September 2006.

He is Honk Kong’s only non-artist to have a wax statue created in his honor in Honk Kong.

He has been awarded with the Grand Bauhinia Medal – the highest award presented for important contributions towards the well-being and development of Hong Kong.

Jack Ma

With a net worth of $29.7 billion, Jack Ma is the richest man in China and one of the youngest high achievers in the world. He is the founder and member of the internet based e-commerce company, Alibaba Group Holding Limited. The services provided by the company include consumer to consumer sales, business to consumer sales and business to business sales through web portals. Although the man used a computer for the first time in his life at the age of 33, he runs one of the most successful internet-based businesses today.

Achievements

He is the world’s eighteenth richest man.

Jack Ma has the honor of being the first ever mainland Chinese business investor to be on the cover of Forbes magazine.

His first internet based company was the China Yellow Pages which was created with an investment of only $20,000. It made $800,000 within three years.

Jack Ma is often invited to lectures at universities around the world owing to his success.

In 2004, the China Central Television listed Ma among the “Top Ten Business Leaders of the Year”.

The World Economic Forum honored Jack Ma with the title of “Young Global Leader” in 2005.

Lee Shau Kee

Another Hong Kong based business tycoon, Lee Shau Kee is one of the richest men in Asia. With a net worth of $24.8 billion, the man stands as one of the most successful landlords in China. He is a self-made businessman and also contributes generously towards charity. The tycoon is known as “Uncle Four” owing to the fact that he is among the world’s very few fourth-born children who grew up to become multi-billionaires. He has also earned the reputation of being one of Asia’s biggest philanthropists. To date, Lee Shau Kee has contributed over $20 million through his Lee Shau Kee Foundation. He is also a major sponsor of the HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity.

Achievements

He is owner of the Henderson Land Development Co. Limited – a property company involved in multiple activities in Hong Kong including property development, investment, hotel operation, project management, construction and investment holding.

Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited is chaired by Lee ShauKee.

Lee was nineteenth on the list of the World’s Richest People in 2012 according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Till 1997, he ranked as the fourth richest person in the world before the handover of Hong Kong by the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China.

Lee has been named as Hong Kong’s Buffet as well as Asia’s Master of Stock owing to his successful return on investment since 2006.

Wang Jianlin

Former Chinese soldier, Wang Jianlin is the wealthiest real estate developer in China. He chairs the Dalian Wanda Group Corporation Limited which is the largest private property developing company in China. Under the company’s banner are over two hundred departmental stores, luxury hotels and shopping plazas. The mogul’s net worth amounts to $24.2 billion.

Achievements

Wang Jianlin owns the world’s largest cinema chain.

His real estate investment spans across four continents of the world.

In 2014, he successfully embarked on a new venture – Wanda E-Commerce – by joining hands with business tycoons of the Internet World: Baidu and Tencent.

In 1989, Wang Jianlin was appointed the Chairman of the then government-run Wanda at the young age of thirty-five.

Under his projects, the skylines of big cities like Chicago and London are being redrawn through the construction of new skyscrapers.

Dilip Shingvi

Founder and MD of Sun Pharmaceuticals, Dilip Shingvi is the richest man in India. Reaching the age of 60 in 2015, the successful businessman has a net worth of $20.1 billion according to Forbes. Born in Mumbai, Shingvi began his career by merely helping his father in wholesale business of generic drugs. Later, he founded his own company in 1982 through an investment of only Rs. 10,000. Today, Sun Pharmaceuticals is the largest drug company in India.

Achievements

In 2015, Shingvi beat the longstanding richest man of India, Ambani. The title is now held by Dilip Shingvi.

He was nominated as the CNN-IBN Indian of the year in Business in 2011.

Forbes India awarded Dilip Shingvi as the Entrepreneur for the Year in October, 2014.

Sun Pharmaceuticals consists of manufacturing facilities operating in four different continents of the world.

Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal Alsaud

With a networth of 22.6 billion US dollars, Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal Alsaud of Saudi Arabia stands among the richest people and business tycoons in Asia. He belongs to the Saudi Royal family. His paternal grandfather, Ibn Saud was the first King of Saudi Arabia while his maternal grandfather, Riad Al Solh was the first Prime Minister of Lebanon. Prince Al-Waleed is an influential investor of Saudi Arabia.

Achievements

He is the founder and ninety-five percent share holder of the King Holding Company.

Al-Waleed is the biggestshareholder of Citigroup – an American based Banking Corporation.

He is the owner of the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris.

He was listed in Forbes as the twenty-sixth richest man in the world in 2013.

Yacht Kingdom 5KR is the fifty-eighth largest yacht in the world. It is owned by Prince Al-Waleed.

Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani

Mukesh Ambani is the second richest business tycoon of India. He held the first place as the richest Indian till 2015 when he was surpassed by Dilip Shingvi. Ambani’s net worth amounts to $19.7 billion according to an estimate made by Forbes in May 2015. The business magnate is the Chairman and MD of Reliance Industries Limited.

Achievements

Forbes has ranked him as the thirty-ninth richest man in the world.

Mukesh Ambani owns 44.7 percent stakes in Reliance Industries Limited which is the second most valuable company in India based on the market value.

He made it to Forbes “Sixty-eight People who Matter Most” in 2010.

In 2013, he stood as Asia’s second richest man.

He is owner of Mumbai Indians which is an Indian Premier League team.

According to Forbes, Ambani is among the world’s wealthiest sports owners.